Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park

To the northeast of Las Cruces, the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park is a small, free preserve built to help you understand the desert! It isn’t a major destination, but it’s a nice low-effort stop if you want to learn about the Chihuahuan Desert and hike around a bit.

What to Do

The park has six short trails, including a 0.1-mile interpretive loop, the 0.6-mile Gateway to the Desert Loop, the 0.4-mile Arroyo Trail, and the 1.2-mile Desert Discovery Trail. The Desert Discovery Trail is the longest, climbing Vista Hill with to an overlook of the Organ Mountains and Rio Grande Valley. There is also a desert garden filled with native drought-tolerant plants. Lizards, roadrunners, and desert birds are common around the trails, making this an easy place for casual wildlife viewing and photography.

How Much Time to Spend

Plan on about 30 to 45 minutes if you just want to walk the shorter trails and look around the garden. Give yourself closer to two hours if you want to hike all the trails and spend some time at the overlook.

Getting There

The park is at 56501 N. Jornada Road northeast of Las Cruces. The access road is paved, parking is free, and most of the trails are easy dirt paths with very little shade. There are pit toilets, but no potable water. If you’re visiting in summer, go early as there is little shade.

The park is free, easy to visit, and is worth visiting to learn a bit about the desert!